Phaser Fight Read online

  MR. SPOCK IS UNDER ATTACK!

  The strange-looking creatures appear to be made of glass! You leap inside the transporter room, and it’s as if you’re suddenly inside a hall of mirrors. Everywhere you look, you see images of yourself and Mr. Spock.

  The images are getting larger. The aliens are obviously creeping closer.

  Should you start blasting with your phaser? Or should you make a run for the transporter controls and try to beam these creatures off the ship?

  If you start firing your phaser at the aliens, turn to page 53.

  If you try to beam these creatures off the ship, turn to page 59.

  AN ARCHWAY PAPERBACK Original

  An Archway Paperback published by

  POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10020

  Cover Art and Text Copyright © 1986 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10020

  ISBN 0671 63248 5

  First Archway Paperback printing December, 1986

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  AN ARCHWAY PAPERBACK and colphon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  WHICH WAY is a registered trademark

  of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  STAR TREK is a Registered Trademark of

  Paramount Pictures Corporation.

  Printed in the U.S.A.

  FOR ERIC AND CLAUDIA MINK—

  THERE ARE KLINGON SHIPS AND THERE

  FEDERATION SHIPS, BUT THE BEST SHIP IS FRIENDSHIP.

  Attention!

  Which Way Books must be read in a special way. DO NOT READ THE PAGES IN ORDER. If you do, the story will make no sense at all. Instead, follow the directions at the bottom of each page until you come to an ending. Only then should you return to the beginning and start over again, making different choices this time.

  There are many possibilities for exciting adventures. Some of the endings are good; some of the endings are bad. If you meet a terrible fate, you can reverse it in your next story by making new choices.

  Remember: follow the directions carefully, and have fun!

  Page 1

  You are a young Federation ensign who has shown a great deal of promise. You have a deep interest in science and medicine, as well as a love of action. And finally you’ve gotten your wish—you’ve been beamed aboard the Enterprise in order to receive special training by the crew of the most famous starship in the fleet!

  You’re terribly excited—and nervous—as you introduce yourself to Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy.

  Continued on page 2.

  Page 2

  The captain smiles at you, trying to put you at ease. “Starfleet Command must think a great deal of you,” he says. And I’m sure I speak for my fellow officers when I say that we’re all very pleased to be part of your education.”

  “I just hope I don’t get in anyone’s way.” you answer modestly.

  “I’m sure you’ll be a great help around here,” says Dr. McCoy

  “I don’t often agree with the good doctor,” admits Mr. Spock, “but in this case I must concur. It is good to have you aboard.”

  You are enormously relieved with the warm reception you’ve received. But now Kirk asks which one of the three of them you want to be assigned to first.

  Whom shall you choose? Will it be Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, or Dr. McCoy?

  If you choose Captain Kirk, turn to page 9.

  If you choose Mr. Spock, turn to page 12.

  If you choose Dr. McCoy, turn to page 16.

  Page 3

  Dr. McCoy seems just a little too calm. If you had just heard the story you told, you’d want to rush right down to the transporter room right away to help Mr. Spock. No. The more you think about it, the more you’re sure that Dr. McCoy didn’t believe you.

  And you’re absolutely positive when you turn to look at him. McCoy is coming toward you with a laser needle!

  The “point” is; you had better hurry and turn to page 33!

  Page 4

  In a gasping voice, Spock begins, “The only way to defeat the aliens—”

  Suddenly he lapses into a coughing fit. “Please!” you demand. “Tell me what you know!”

  When he finally catches his breath, Spock says, “Tell the captain that all he has to do is.—”

  Before Spock can finish, a blast from the enemy ship hits the Enterprise's engine room. The starship explodes into a billion pieces!

  You made the wrong choice when you decided to shoot first and ask questions later.

  The End

  Page 5

  The captain leaves the bridge with orders that he should not be disturbed. Meanwhile, you plot two different courses to the uncharted planet. The faster course would take the Enterprise through hostile Klingon territory. The slower course would take you perilously close to a black hole.

  The decision has been left to you. Choose wisely. On which of the two courses should you steer the Enterprise?

  If you take the course through Klingon territory, turn to page 11.

  If you take the course near the black hole, turn to page 19.

  Page 6

  You race down the hall, and the first thing you see is the ships elevators. The doors are opening Even before you can see who’s inside, you shout, “Mr. Spock is in trouble! Quick, follow me to the transporter room!”

  You race back down the hallway believing that right behind you are members of the starship’s crew.

  “We’ll show those creatures they can’t mess with the Federation!” you declare. “Set your phasers on stun, and fire at will. Just be careful that you don’t hit Mr. Spock.”

  As you reach the transporter room, you glance back over your shoulder to see how many allies you have.

  None! The hallway is full of aliens! They were on the elevator. Which means they must be all over the ship! And now they’re about to swarm all over you!

  Uh-oh. Turn to page 62!

  Page 7

  Page 8

  You act real casual, walking down the ship’s corridors as if you belong. And why not? Half the crew looks just like you. The other half looks like Spock

  So far the aliens are ignoring you. And that ought to give you a chance to get to the communications section on the bridge. If you can just get a message through to Captain Kirk, you could save the Enterprise!

  You step onto the elevator that will take you to your destination. It’s wall-to-wall aliens—and one of them turns to you and says, “Eeezzexeq?”

  Think fast and turn to page 73!

  Page 9

  Captain Kirk leads you to the bridge of the Enterprise. “This is home,” he says proudly waving a hand at the nerve center of the starship. “I hope you’ll like it here.”

  But before you can reply! Chekov, the navigator, shouts, “Meteors, Captain! Thousands of them!”

  It seems as if you’ve entered an unknown meteor belt. Certainly there isn’t anything to worry about…or is there?

  Turn to page 15.

  Page 10

  You watch McCoy, waiting to see if there will be any side effects. And it’s a good thing you didn’t give the serum to the crew, because McCoy’s face suddenly changes into something indescribably horrible! His eyes become huge. In the middle of his face is a hairy ogre’s nose. His mouth grows wide and his teeth become long and jagged. McCoy is a monster!

  He leaps out of his bed, and with hands that look like claws, he tries to strangle you!

  Hold your breath and turn to page 3.

&nb
sp; Page 11

  You guide the Enterprise through the outer edge of the Klingon Empire, hoping to reach the uncharted planet without being spotted by your fierce enemy.

  No such luck!

  An entire Klingon fleet speeds to intercept you!

  Turn to page 23.

  Page 12

  Mr. Spock shows no emotion at your choice. The captain and Dr. McCoy wish you luck and hurry off to take care of their duties. Meanwhile, the Science Officer merely nods and says, “Follow me. We’ll begin with a tour of the ship.”

  You hurry after the Vulcan.—but you haven’t gone far before an explosion suddenly rocks the ship, sending you and Mr. Spock flying!

  Turn to page 21.

  Page 13

  You’ve got all three Spocks covered with your phaser. If any of them move, you can zap them. But in the meantime you have a plan to discover if one of them is the real Spock.

  Just before coming on board the Enterprise, you heard the funniest joke in the cosmos. You laughed for twenty minutes! Everyone at Federation Headquarters said that they’d never heard anything so hysterical in their lives.

  You figure that no matter how funny that joke, the real Spock wouldn’t laugh at it. And that’s your plan.

  To the astonishment of the life forms staring at your deadly phaser, you smile and start to tell them a joke.

  To find out who the laugh will be on, turn to page 94.

  Page 14

  The best way to save the Enterprise is to tell Captain Kirk in person to turn on every bit of the ship’s power. So you head for the transporter room. But on your way you see two aliens (who look like you) leading Mr. Spock up the corridor.

  The aliens think that you’re one of them. That makes it easy for you to get behind them and knock them out.

  “Come on,” you shout to Mr. Spock. “Let’s beam ourselves back to the Enterprise!”

  Mr. Spock raises an eyebrow and mutters, “An ensign giving orders to a First Officer? Very interesting.” Just the same, he follows after you.

  Turn to page 27.

  Page 15

  Put up the shields,” orders the captain. Shields up,” replies Chekov.

  The Enterprise ought to be protected now, but suddenly one of the smaller meteors crashes into the ship! Sulu, the helmsman, is rocked out of his chair. He hits his head and is knocked unconscious!

  “Captain,” reports Mr. Spock calmly, “my instruments report that these meteors are made of some unknown element that’s capable of piercing our shields.”

  The captain nods, then gestures to two men from Security and says, “Get Mr. Sulu down to sickbay immediately. And you,” says Kirk, pointing in your direction, “take the navigator’s chair. You came aboard to get experience—well, now’s your chance!”

  Navigate your way to page 18.

  Page 16

  So you want to see how an old country doctor does his job?” McCoy asks gruffly as he leads you to sickbay. Before you can answer, he says “You’ll find that there isn’t too much to learn, because everybody on board the Enterprise is in peak physical condition. Frankly,” he admits, “being a doctor on this ship can be awfully boring sometimes.”

  But when you reach sickbay, both you and Dr. McCoy—especially Dr. McCoy—are astonished to see a long line of horribly ill crew members waiting for help!

  Turn to page 22.

  Page 17

  A few seconds later, out of the darkness of space, a huge green hand surges forward at warp speed. The arm to which the hand is connected is so long that the body on the other end is in another galaxy too far away to see!

  You were right! The serum you drank somehow connected your mind to the alien life form that’s now attacking the ship. But is the Enterprise—with its quickly aging crew—strong enough to withstand this new onslaught?

  With your not-so-green-hand, turn to page 32.

  Page 18

  The meteor belt is shown on the screen. You can see the huge boulders tumbling through space toward the Enterprise. You hold the controls steady, watching the screen.

  “Don’t do anything until I give the order,” says Kirk.

  One of the meteors is heading right for the front of the ship. You can hardly take your eyes off of it. Why doesn’t the captain say something? What’s wrong? Why doesn’t he give the order to evade? It’s getting closer…closer…closer. If something isn’t done soon, it’s going to smash into the ship!

  Should you continue to wait for the captain’s orders? Or should you take matters into your own hands and turn the Enterprise away from the oncoming meteor?

  If you wait for orders, turn to page 24.

  If you take matters into your own hands, turn to page 34.

  Page 19

  Not wanting to cause an intergalactic incident, you avoid Klingon territory and navigate close to the black hole.

  It seems safe enough at first. But as you near the collapsed star’s outer edge, its enormous gravitational force suddenly starts pulling the Enterprise into a web of death!

  The ship begins to swirl in space like water going down a drain. If the Enterprise gets sucked into the black hole, you’re going to be in big trouble. Or should we say small trouble? After all, the Enterprise will be squeezed into a size no bigger than an atom!

  You’re swirling faster and faster, getting closer to the ominous black hole. You’ve got to do something! But what?

  Try turning to page 28.

  Page 20

  The muscles in your face begin to twitch. Are your eyes getting larger? Is your nose getting hairy? Are your teeth becoming long and sharp?

  No!

  The twitch is coming from fading wrinkles, a disappearing beard—from youth returning!

  The whole crew is recovering from the disease! Even Dr. McCoy is getting better. All at once a great cheer goes up throughout the Enterprise. In fact, it’s three cheers—and they’re all for you!

  The End

  Page 21

  When you regain your balance, you see Mr. Spock reading his tricorder. “Interesting.” he says, raising an eyebrow.

  “What is it?” you ask. “What have you found?”

  “There’s no time to explain,” says Spock. “Call the bridge. Tell Captain Kirk that I have important information for him. Tell him that we’ll meet him in the transporter room.”

  You hurry down the hall to the intercom system. But that’s when you discover that the communication system within the ship has been knocked out!

  Turn to page 26.

  Page 22

  “It’s an epidemic!” cries McCoy

  Later, as Bones conducts medical tests, you see wrinkles and beards begin to form on the faces of the sick crew members.

  “Dr. McCoy!” you exclaim. “I know what’s wrong!”

  Bones turns around and you see that he suddenly looks older, too,

  “Everyone is aging at an incredible speed!” you declare. “Including you!”

  The ship’s doctor nods grimly and then he points and says, “You’ve caught the disease yourself. You look twice your age. We’ve all got it. According to my calculations, if we don’t find a cure soon, we’re all going to die of old age within the next two hours!”

  Only two hours? You’d better read fast! Hurry to page 31.

  Page 23

  The alarm sounds throughout the ship, warning the crew to man their battle stations.

  Captain Kirk is rushing back to the bridge. But before he gets there, the Klingons attack!

  The blasts will strike the ship in less than one second. You have time to hit just a single button on the control panel in front of you. Should you hit the button that will put up the ship’s protective shields? Or should you hit the automatic evasive action button? Whatever you’re going to do, do it now!

  If you put up the ship’s shields, turn to page 36.

  If you send the ship into evasive action, turn to page 42.

  Page 24

  “Mr. Chekov,” orders the captain, “prepare
to fire a photon torpedo.” To you, Kirk says, “As soon as I give Mr. Chekov the command to fire, give me Warp 12 speed. Understand?”

  “But the ship might break apart at Warp 12!” you nervously reply.

  “Are you questioning my orders, Ensign?”

  “No, sir,” you quickly answer. You watch the meteor get incredibly close to the Enterprise.

  “Not yet,” says Kirk softly, as everyone on the bridge holds their breath.

  “Not yet.” repeats the captain, as the meteor looms ever closer to the ship.

  Then, at the last possible second, he finally shouts, “FIRE!”

  In the instant that the photon torpedo leaves the Enterprise, you push the ship into Warp 12 speed!

  The Enterprise starts to rattle and shake!

  Turn to page 58.

  Page 25

  Page 26

  When you tell Mr. Spock that you can’t reach the bridge, he immediately starts running toward the transporter room.

  “What’s going on?” you call out to the Vulcan, as you race to catch up to him.

  “A logical question,” he replies over his shoulder. “According to my readings, there’s an invisible ship out there.”